From Suffering to Peace

Mindfulness is not an easy word to explain; the main meaning is to be truly aware of what you are experiencing, but its "power" is much wider than simple awareness: mindfulness is capable of radically influencing - and modifying - every area and every moment of our life.

The word mindfulness is translated from the Indian "pali sati", which literally means "to bring to mind". It could be said that being aware of something means knowing it so well that you can remember it by heart. The word "sati" can also refer to simply keeping something in mind, such as your breath, while meditating, or your steps, while walking in the mountains on a slippery path.

The very name of our species, Homo sapiens, refers to being wise, that is, being aware of one's knowledge, in order to put it to good use.

Mindfulness practices are very fashionable today and perhaps this is why they are taken less seriously, when instead they could have a revolutionary impact on the lives of many people. To assess your capacity for awareness, you can do this simple test: raise a hand and, for a few moments, look at it calmly, while you become aware of its every detail. You have to learn to look at your hand as if you were looking at it for the first time, discovering its size, weight, shape, colour, the consistency of the fleshy parts, as well as the texture and temperature of its skin. While doing this exercise, “judgemental” thoughts may spontaneously arise, such as the need to cut your nails or that your hand has wrinkles: what you have to do is let those thoughts slip away and bring your focus right back to neutral.